Machine for assembling spoked wheels



Nov. 1, 1927.

, 1,647,603 w. N. BOOTH MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPOKED WHEELS 10, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 1927.

W. N. BOOTH MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPOKED WHEELS Filed May 10. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -iilllillrl'l 7 Nov. 1, v1927. 1,647,603

' w. N. BOOTH MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPOKED WHEELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 10, 1922 Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM N. BOOTH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPOKED WHEELS.

Application filed. May 10,

The invention relates to machines for assembling spoked wheels particularly of that type having metallic fellies or permanent rims.

Her-etofore, spoked wheels provided with permanent rims have been assembled by laterally forcingthe spokes into substantially the same. plane and depending on the out ward radial pressure resulting from the lateral pressure to seat the spokes upon the rims, these spokes being held in permanent position by their inner bevelled end portions. But wheels assembled by this method have been found unsatisfactory since their spokes did not have firm seats upon the rims, and consequently weakened the wheels. lVith my invention, this objectionable feature is overcome by the provision of means engageable with the inner ends of the spokes to radially force the same outwardly to a firm seat upon the permanent rim of the wheel, and also by the provision of means engageable with the sides of the spokes to laterally force the same into their permanent position.

Other objects of my invention, are the provision of an expanding head having an expansible member engageable with themner ends of the spokes, and also of an expansible member which distributes the pressure over the inner ends of the spokes. The invention has for further objects. the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying my invention for assembling s-poked wheels;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in section taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are cross sections respec tively on thelines 4L4t and 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the expansible member of the expanding head shown in Figure 4;

Figures 7 and 8 are cross sections respec tively through a modified construction of expanding head and support.

1 is the base of the machine, and 2 the head supported upon the shouldered columns 3 at the ends of the base. 4 is a support for thespoked wheel enc'ageable with its spokes and carried upon the ba e 1. 5 is an expanding headmovable toward and 1922. Serial No. 559,701.

away from the support 4 and adapted to apply radial pressure to the spokes at their inner ends to force the same outwardly into firm engagement with the permanent rim of the wheel, and also to apply lateral pressure to'the spokes to force the same laterally into their permanent position. In the usual construction of wheel, the spokes have their sides either in the same plane or slightly dished. V

The mechanism for moving this expanding head 5 toward and away from the support 4 comprises the screw 6 having threaded engagement with the hub of the wheel 7 journalled uponthe support' 8, which latter is mounted upon the columns 3 below the head 2. The wheel. normally rotates with the screw so that the screw does not normally travel longitudinally through the wheel. 9 is a worm wheel non-rotatably secured to the screw 6, but permitting of longitudinal movement of the latter, this worm wheel being journalled upon the head 2 and driven by the worm 10 non-rotatably secured to the shaft 11 also journalled upon the head 2. 12 is a driving pulley fixed upon the outer end of the shaft 11. The arrangement is such that during the rotation of the driving pulley 12, the screw 6 is continuously rotating.- To compel longi tudinal downward movement of the screw 6 and consequently of theexpanding head 5. there isthe brake 13 surrounding the wheel 7 and adapted to be actuated bythe foot pedal 14 near the floor. This foot pedal extends to the front of the machine and is fixed upon the rod 15 extending between the ends of the. base 1 and journalled therein. This rod has at one end, the rock arm 16 fixed thereto, thefree end of which is pivotally connected to the link 17 extending upwardly through the base 1 and between the columns 3 at that end of the machine. The upper end of this link is pivotally connected to a bell crank 18 pivoted upon the support 8 and connected by the link 19 to one end of the brake. -With this arrangement, if it is desired to lower the expanding head 5, the brake 13 is contracted tosecure the wheel 7 from rotation, by means of the foot pedal 14, so that the rotation ofth-e screw 6 compels the same to travel longitudinally downward. carrying with it the expanding head. The screw 6 is normally maintained in its uppermost position by means of the cable 20 passing around pulleys 21 and 22 carried upon the head 2 and connected to the upper end of the screw and to the counter-weight 23.

The expanding head 5 comprises the adapter 24 fixed upon the lower end of the screw 6 by suitable means such as a trans verse pin, the body 25. carried upon the. adapter and the expansible member 26 carried upon the body. The. adapter has at its lower end the annular flange 27 engaging in a recess in the upper end of the body 25, this body being secured to the adapter by means of the ring 28 engaging over the annular flange and secured to the body by suitable means such as the cap screws 29.

The expansible member 26 comprises the I inner member 30 having the upper portion 31 and the depending conical portion 32, and c'lso comprises the outer annular series of segmental members 33 slidably engaging the conical portion 32 of the inner member. These segmental members have aligned grooves 34 in their outer faces which are engaged in by the annular transversely split spring 35 for 'yieldably holding the segmental members in contracted position. 36 is a pilot secured to the stem 37 extending axially through the inner member 30 and the body 25, the pilot preventing disengagement of the segmental members from the inner member with which they cooperate. The upper portion 31 of the inner member slidably engages in a recess 38 in the lower end of the body 25, and this inner member is secured to the body by the cap 5-39 threaded upon the body and having an annular flange extending inwardly to engage the upper portion' of'this innermember. d0 isf'a coiled spring surrotuidin'g the stem and abutting the inner. member 30 and the portion of the body'25 at'th'e' inner end of the recess 38, this coiled spring having a strength sufiicient to force the inner member downwardly toward the support 4- upon the base 1 with a predetermined pressure, so that the resulting outward radial pressure exerted by the segmental members 33' upon the ends of the spokes will be predetermined. The body 25 of the expanding member is prevented from rotating by means of the rod, 41 extending from the body to a point between the columns 3 at one end of the machine. Since the adapter 2d is'fixed upon the screw, it rotates therewith, and since the body 211i held from rotation, I have provided the disks 43 and 14: which are secured, respec tively to the adapter and body and the disk 4L2bctween these disks and providedwith oil grooves in its'upper face.

In order to control the amount of pressure applied to the spokes in laterally forcing the same into substantially the same plane, the support, 4- is mounted upon the upper end of the plunger 4-5 slidable withinjthe cylindert6 carried on the base 1 of the machine. This cylinder contains a suitable liquid such as oil, the pressure of which is communicated to a pressure gage 47 through the connecting pipe 48. An audible signal, such as the bell 19, is also preferably provided, it being operated upon rotation of the gage indicating hand.

in operation, the partly assembled wheel having its double-mitered spokes engaging in the pern'ianent rim and partially engaging each other so that their axes are in angular relation, is placed upon the support 4 and substantially concentric therewith. The expanding head 5 is then lowered by depress-- ing the foot pedal 14 to lock the wheel 7 so that the rotation of the screw 6 relative to this wheel, effects a longitudinal downward movement of the screw, and consequently of the expanding head. The pilot 36- extends into the axial opening 50 in the support at permitting the lower ends of the segmental members 33 to engage the upper face of the support. Continued downward movement of the expanding head carries the inner member 30 of the expansible member 26, downwardly forcing the segmental members 33 radially outward, which engage the inner ends of the wheel spokes applying equal radially outward pressure thereto, the tension of the coil spring &0 being such that the outward radial movement of the segmental members brings the outer ends ofthe spokes into firm engagement with their seats upon the permanent rim, after which, the coil spring is compressed upon further downward movement of the expanding head, the annular flange of its cap engaging the upper sides of the upper spokes and forcing the same laterally to bring all of the spokes of the wheel into their fixed position. The degree of lateral compression upon the spokes is indicated by the bell 49.

In the modified construction of expanding head and support for the spokedwheel as shown in Figures? and 8,respectively, the arrangement is such that the outward radial pressure upon the inner ends of the spokes, is distributed thereover. In detail, the expanding head 51 has thebody 52 carried. by the adapter 53 and carrying the expan'sible member "54. This expansible member comprises the annular series of bell crank-shaped jaws 55 having the lateral arms 56 and the depending arms 57, the faces of the depending arms adapted to engage the inner 'ends of the spokes being at right angles to the faces of the lateral arms adapted to engage the sides of the spokes. Each jaw alsohas the rounded out out part 58 connecting the inner ends of these faces and providing clearance for the corner of the spoke so that. the latter will not be damaged. The lateral arms 56 have the rounded upper faces .59 engaging in rounded bearings 60 in the lower end of the body 52. To yieldably hold these jaws so that the bearing faces inwardly, I have provided the pull rod 61 extending axially within the body 52 and provided with the collar 62 secured to its lower end, this collar supporting the inner ends oi the jaws by engaging the lugs 63 thereof. 6% is a coil spring surrounding the pull rod within the body 52 and abutting the enlargement 65 at the upper end of the pull rod and the retainer 66 surrounding the pull rod and threadedly engaging the body. I have also provided the eye-bolts 67 extending longitudinally of the-body and through the eyebolts 68 extending trans- I versely thereof and threadedly engaging the same, the lower end of each eye-bolt 67 being pivotally connected to the outer end of the lateral arm 56. 69 is a compression coil spring surrounding the eye-bolt 67 between the eye-bolt 68 and the upper face of the lateral arms 56.

The support 70 has the annular series of bell crank-shaped jaws.-7l which are constructed in the same manner as the jaws 55 and are yieldably held to their seats upon the body 7 2 of the support in the same manner as the aws 55. The jaws 71 face upwardly and are arranged so that when the expanding head 51 is moved downwardly into engagement with the spokes of the wheel, the jaws of the support alternatewith the jaws of the expanding head.

In the operation of my modified construction, the jaws upon the support operate upon the lower series of spokes and the aws upon the expanding head operate upon the upper series of spokes so that the ends of both series of spokes are engaged throughout their whole area with the exception of their corners, and consequently the radial outward pressure exerted upon the spokes by the movement of the expanding head toward the support is distributed, thereby avoiding liability of damaging the spokes.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. Ina machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with a support for the wheel, of an expanding head movable to ward said support and provided with an expansible member engageable with. the inner ends of the spokes to radially force the same outwardly into engagement with the rim and also with an abutment engageable with the sides of the spokes opposite said support to laterally force the spokes into permanent )osition. said abutment and expansible memer being movable relative to each other toward said support.

2. In a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with a support for the wheel, of an expanding head movable toward said support and provided with a member having a conical portion and a sectional member slidably mounted upon said conical member and engageable with the inner ends of the spokes to radially force the 'same outwardly into engagement with the rim upon movement of said first-mentioned member relative to said sectional member toward saidsupport, said expanding head bewheels, the combination with a support for the wheel, of a rotatable stem movable toward said support, an expanding head secured to said stem and provided with an adapter fixedly secured to said stem, a body rotatably secured to said adapter, a member having a conical portion, said member being slidably mounted within said body, a sectional expansible member slidably mounted upon said member with a conical portion and engageable with the inner ends of the spokes to radially force the same outwardly into engagement with the rim, means for yieldably maintaining said member with the conical portion in predetermined relation to said. body, and an abutment upon said body engageable with the sides of the spokes opposite to said support to laterally force the spokes into permanent position.

4:. In a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination, with a plunger adapted to support the wheel, of an expanding head movable toward said supportand provided with an abutment portion engageable with the sides of the spokes op posite to said plunger to laterally force the spokes into permanent position, and means dependent upon the movement of said plunger to indicate the pressure upon the spokes.

5. In a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with a cylinder containing a liquid, and a plunger slidably mounted within said cylinder and adapted to support-the wheel, of an expanding head movable toward said plunger and provided with a portion engageable with the sides of the spokes opposite to said plunger to laterally force the spokes into permanent position, a pressure gage in communication with said cylinder, and means controlled by said pressure gage for audibly indicating the 1 pressure exerted upon said plunger.

6. In a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with a support for the wheel, of an expanding head movable toward said support comprising a sectional expansible member engageable with said support and the inner ends of the spokes, a member having a conical portion slidably engageable with said sectional expansible member for expanding the same to radially force the spokes outwardly into engagement with the rim, and a body movable toward said support relative to said member with the conical portion and engageable with the sides of the spokes opposite said support to laterally force the spokes into permanent position.

7. In a machine for. assembling spoked wheels, the combination with means engageable with the inner ends of the spokes to radially force the same outwardly into engagement with, the rim, or means movable relative to said first-mentioned means and engageahle with the spokes to laterally force the same into; permanent position.

8.111 a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with means engageable with the inner ends of the spokes to radially forcev the sameoutwardly into engagement with the rim, of means. movable relative to said first-mentioned means and engageable with the spokes to laterally force the same into permanent position, and means for normally retaining said last-mentioned means in predetermined relation to said firstrnentioned means.

9. In a machine tor assembling spoked wheels, the coiznbination with a cylinder containing a liquid and a plunger slidably mounted within said cylinder and adapted to support the wheel, of an expanding head movable toward said plunger and? provided with a portion engageab'le with the sides, of the spokes opposite to said plunger to laterally forcethe, spokesinte permanent position, and; a pressure gage in communication with said cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

lVILLIAM N. BOO-TH. 

